![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
-
Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.
Painting radiator... safe?
- Thread starter TrueChaos
- Start date
Demon_of_The_Fall
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2004
- Messages
- 414
If you paint the fins it will destroy your temperatures. If you just paint the casing and not the part that the fans blow through youll be fine.
You can do whatever you like to the header tanks and side pieces (assuming your rad has any) but don't overload the fins in the matrix with paint or the heat transfer is impaired.
A light mist coat will be fine but anything heavy enough to look like a "good" paint job is too much.
A light mist coat will be fine but anything heavy enough to look like a "good" paint job is too much.
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2001
- Messages
- 38,998
you can make the fins look painted by holding the spray nozzle at an extreme angle to the fins, so that instead of spraying into the rad like air would flow, you spraying almost across it. If you rotate (but keep the angle the same) you will coat a good 1/8" into the fins, enough to make it look polished but will not dampen heat transfer. Trick is to shake can often, and use light misting strokes. Don't do enough for any runs or drips....
BellaCroix
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2004
- Messages
- 1,054
Don't paint any thermal transfer surface... that's like painting the base of your heat sink... you wouldn't do that, now would you? Same (if not more) holds true for powdercoating.
If you REALLY need to color a thermal transfer surface your only bet is annodizing. From what I hear the impact of annodizing a surface is marginal as far as thermal transfer is concerned.
Anything else creates an insulative layer... that's not what you're looking for in a radiator.
Just my opinion though... what do I know?
If you REALLY need to color a thermal transfer surface your only bet is annodizing. From what I hear the impact of annodizing a surface is marginal as far as thermal transfer is concerned.
Anything else creates an insulative layer... that's not what you're looking for in a radiator.
Just my opinion though... what do I know?
Interesting, and good to know. How is it that DD rads come painted then? Throw in that the fin area is usually not able to be seen due to fans anyway, and its all good. Just thinking about my upcomming mod is all, and a blue rad just doesnt work... 
-Cameron
-Cameron
DD don't make rads, they just sell them, therefore DD have no influence over how rads are painted etc. They aren't "DD Rads". They're HWLabs BlackIce rads. That's like referring to a DFI motherboard as a jab-tech motherboard because Jab-tech happen to sell them. The question should be "so howcome HWLabs make the BlackIce series available in various colors?"
HWLabs paint their rads. In fact, every company making rads paints them (black usually). The layer of paint used is typically VERY thin and applied either by machine or by hand by a seasoned sprayer who's good at doing very thin even layers. As the core is rarely seen due to fan-style obstruction, tends to be easier just to mask it off and ignore it anyways. However, difference between a painted and unpainted rad (I tried it with a PA120.2) is unmeasurable (too small). You're talking thousandths of degrees or less. So yes, feel free to paint, but if it's a high fin density rad then go steady over core as it'll be easy to block... if it's a low FPI core, then a quick fine layer will do nicely. It'll only cover the outer edges of the fins, which when factored into total surface area is marginal. Either way, don't plaster it on with a trowel... keep it thin and even.
HWLabs paint their rads. In fact, every company making rads paints them (black usually). The layer of paint used is typically VERY thin and applied either by machine or by hand by a seasoned sprayer who's good at doing very thin even layers. As the core is rarely seen due to fan-style obstruction, tends to be easier just to mask it off and ignore it anyways. However, difference between a painted and unpainted rad (I tried it with a PA120.2) is unmeasurable (too small). You're talking thousandths of degrees or less. So yes, feel free to paint, but if it's a high fin density rad then go steady over core as it'll be easy to block... if it's a low FPI core, then a quick fine layer will do nicely. It'll only cover the outer edges of the fins, which when factored into total surface area is marginal. Either way, don't plaster it on with a trowel... keep it thin and even.
BellaCroix
[H]ard|Gawd
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2004
- Messages
- 1,054
Looking at the paint on my old DD radiator, it's VERY VERY thin. From time spent building models and race cars my guess is that it is thinned considerably and painted with a professional airbrush.
Also, if you've looked at DD radiators you'll notice oxydation inside the fins. A surface painted with a considerable amount of paint would not oxydize that way. It would be protected by the layer of paint. The paint applied to a DD radiator is only on the very edges of the cooling fins.
If you search for details on the paint used it's also identified as acrylic paint. Acrylics tend to be water-based paints and are much thinner than enamel paints.
If you're dead set on painting the radiator, dont use a spray can... I'd say stay away from the airbrush also unless you're very experienced with controlling the spray. Hobby airbrushes usually use much thinner paint that will still manage to find it's way into the radiator. If painting the thing is a necessity, us a small artist's brush and search for a method of model painting called "drybrushing". You'll still get paint on the edge of the radiator but wont affect the internal surfaces. I'd also suggest using water-bases acrylic paints (check your hobby shop for Tamiya paints) since you'll get good color from a thinner paint.
Also, if you've looked at DD radiators you'll notice oxydation inside the fins. A surface painted with a considerable amount of paint would not oxydize that way. It would be protected by the layer of paint. The paint applied to a DD radiator is only on the very edges of the cooling fins.
If you search for details on the paint used it's also identified as acrylic paint. Acrylics tend to be water-based paints and are much thinner than enamel paints.
If you're dead set on painting the radiator, dont use a spray can... I'd say stay away from the airbrush also unless you're very experienced with controlling the spray. Hobby airbrushes usually use much thinner paint that will still manage to find it's way into the radiator. If painting the thing is a necessity, us a small artist's brush and search for a method of model painting called "drybrushing". You'll still get paint on the edge of the radiator but wont affect the internal surfaces. I'd also suggest using water-bases acrylic paints (check your hobby shop for Tamiya paints) since you'll get good color from a thinner paint.